This is what we do, we protect each other
by cosmicwriter9
Summary: Katniss and Peeta after the war. A short story about how they grew back together, and how they ended up falling in love all over again. "M" for later chapters.
1. Hello

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is like kind of a short story about how Peeta and Katniss grew back together. I went on fanfiction looking for something to make me cry and stuff (you know, sentimental?) but I couldn't find any, so I wrote one myself. ENJOYS! BTW: this is Katniss's POV.**

I sighed as I sat up in my bed a looked out of my bedroom window to Peeta's house. He'd been back for over two months now, and we barely spoke. I hated to admit it, but a part of me desperately wanted him to come and talk to me, and hold me at night like he used to. The sensible part of me told me that he hated me, and that he'd already moved on and probably didn't love me anymore. I looked down towards my arms, scarred from the war. My hands trembled as the memory of the flesh, my flesh, in front of me killing so many people. _Prim_. Guilt washed over me, and I felt a warm drop on my arm, a warm tear.

It seems as though I've been crying more often lately, ever since Peeta got back. My nightmares got worse, and they changed. They no longer centered around only Prim being consumed by the fire, but on Peeta.

Peeta.

His name played over and over in my head again until I thought it was going to scream. Why can't I move on?

I climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower. As I took my clothes off, I took a small peek at my body. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't as frail and skinny as I'd expected. Sure, I was lacking curves and my breasts were not big, but I looked healthy. My scars had faded into a pale pink color, and I looked almost _normal_. Normal. That word was foreign in my head. I've never had a normal life, and I found it odd that I would think of such a word. With a sigh, I hopped in the shower.

(Peeta's POV)

6 AM was what time I always woke up now. Ever since I made my decision to come back to Twelve, my daily routines were the same. I would wake up, bake, do some chores, and think of her. Katniss. I've missed her so much.

Ever since I came back, we've only shared a minimal amount of words. I stopped by her house once a week to give her bread, and we always said the usual "thank you's" and "you're welcome's". I longed for a change, or a sudden burst of courage to give me enough nerve to talk to her. I figured that she wouldn't want to talk to me, and I wondered if she ever thought of me.

We've both changed. She's not the girl who used to struggle for survival, feeding her family with minuscule scraps of food, and I'm not the boy who constantly got beat by my mother. We've grown up. I only wished that we would've grown together.

I looked out my window and I see Katniss's silhouette in her bedroom. I don't know what she's doing, but I know that she's already up. I wonder so much about that girl, whether she's doing okay, or whether she needs to be comforted.

A memory flash takes me back to Thirteen, in the hospital room with Prim. "She loves you," she had said to me. I held on to that memory, storing it in my heart, because I hoped that one day, it will be true. I tread to the kitchen and get started baking.

(Katniss)

I didn't really know what to do after my shower. I wasn't going to go hunting, because I would get dirty, and I didn't really want another shower. As I pondered, a knock came on my door. I assumed it was Haymitch or Sae, since they were the only two who came regularly. Peeta only came about once or twice a week, so I didn't think it was him. I shuffled to the door and opened it. It was not Haymitch, nor was it Sae. I found myself staring into the beautiful blue eyes of Peeta Mellark.

"Peeta!" I managed to gasp out. I definitely was not expecting him. He looked a bit uneasy, and I stepped aside, letting him in the house. He carried a basket with him, and judging by it's aroma, it was filled with cheese buns.

"Hi Katniss," Peeta said after setting the basket down on my coffee table. I gulped and walked over to him.

"Hi." I whispered, unable to look at him. I don't know why, but my eyes were starting to tear up. I had so much emotion towards that boy, and I was too stubborn to admit it. He was in my living room, literally two feet in front of me. Something finally snapped, and I lunged myself at him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I cried into his chest.

"Hi, Peeta. Hi," I whisper-sobbed to him. I felt him tense at my sudden action, then relax. He brought his arms up and engulfed me into a hug, his head pressed into the crook of my neck.

'Katniss," I heard him say to me, "hi Katniss."


	2. Realization

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: One day and already 62 views and 4 alerts? Awesome-sauce (Who knows where that's from...? (; ) Anyways, heres Chapter two! Italics = flashbacks(:**

(Peeta)

I was extremely surprised when she hugged me. I wasn't expecting her to come so straightforwardly, nor was expecting her release of tears. I found myself being very glad about a certain drunk mentor that had made me come to her house.

_I lounged on my couch, waiting for my batch of cheese buns to finish baking. Two minutes before the oven timer rang, I heard a pounding on my door. I groaned to myself, mentally reminding myself to tell Haymitch that I had a doorbell, and that was what doorbells were used for. Walking towards the door, I wondered what Haymitch wanted. Maybe he needed some alcohol, but I didn't have any. Maybe he came to yell at me about her._

_I let Haymitch into my house, and he grunted before plopping down on my couch. He reeked of liquor, and I made a note to sanitize the couch when he left. _

_"So boy," he said to me gruffly, "have you talked to Ms. Seclusion yet?"_

_I shook my head and he let out a loud snort. "Listen, Mellark. You and I both know how in love you are with her, and if you're not gonna do anything about it, then forget ever having a chance with her."_

_I gaped at him. "Haymitch," I began, "I can't just go over there."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because she hates me."_

_"Mellark, you are delusional. She does NOT hate you, so stop acting like a wuss and go over there, or else I'll go talk to her myself." With that said, he got up from the couch and stumbled to the door. With a glance back to me, he said "What are you standing there for? Move your ass!"_

I snapped out of my reverie as I felt her arms tighten around me, clinging on and sobbing. I eased myself onto the couch so that she was sitting on my lap, and a familiar tingle of warmth spread through my body. One of my hands wandered into her long brown hair and I buried my face into it. "Katniss," I whispered, "I missed you."

(Katniss)

A part of me scolded myself for throwing myself onto Peeta like that, but another part loved that I finally got to make contact with him and feel his warm body pressed against mine. I felt him maneuver us onto the couch, and I felt his hand tangle in my hair. I missed this, I missed us. I heard him whisper to me that he missed me, and I willed myself to look up.

My face was stained with tears, but I didn't care. "Peeta," I choked out, "I missed you too. I missed you so much." He pressed his forehead against mine, so that we were looking into each other's eyes, pale gray into sky-blue. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but I cherished every second of it. I thought back to how I almost lost him in the war. I thought about my feelings for him, because I didn't know what they were.

_Love._

That was the first word that popped into my head. Love? Did I love Peeta? My mind was conflicted with my heart. My mind told me that I didn't, and I couldn't, because everyone I had loved was painfully wrenched away from me. My heart said otherwise.

Peeta's eyes were just like the sky. Blue and clear, with lots of memories swimming inside of them. I could see all the times we spent with each other in the past, like our kiss in the cave, or the night on the train where he held me at night. I missed that, all of that. I took a shuddering breath and closed my eyes, which made new tears roll down my cheeks.

"Katniss, don't cry," Peeta cooed softly, "Don't cry, I'm here for you." He murmured something indistinguishable, but it sounded a whole lot like "I love you."

My eyes snapped open and I did the most impulsive, unexpected thing to do. I leaned my face closer to his, and felt his lips on mine.

(Peeta)

I wasn't able to contain my shock as I felt her lips capture mine in a kiss. We haven't kissed in so long. I let out a gasp, and kissed her back.

I could feel her tears and I could taste the saltiness in them, but I didn't mind. My hands once again tangled in her long hair as we shared our moment. I finally pulled away, to see her face flushing.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered. I looked at her sincerely and said "Don't be sorry, Katniss. I missed that."

She gave me a small smile and I felt joy course through my veins. I longed to see her smile, and she did.

We sat there, looking into each other's eyes for a long time, trying to read each other. Then, she finally spoke.

"Peeta, what are we?"

I was confused, not understanding what she meant. My first thought was "We're alive." Suddenly, it came to me.

"Katniss..."

"Peeta. I have something to tell you."

I nodded at her and she began.

"I'm so sorry about everything, about the war, about your family, and about us. I started off just pretending to be in love with you, because I knew that was what we needed to survive the games. As the time went by, my feelings grew. I didn't know what they were yet, but they grew. During the Quell, when you died because of that force field, my heart shattered. I-I..." she faded off, unable to continue.

"Katniss?"

"I'm okay, Peeta, I can finish."

I nodded at her.

"I thought you were gone, until Finnick revived you. Then, I began to realize what those feelings were. I've never felt that way for any person before, not even Gale. After you got captured by the Capitol, I didn't know what do with myself. I made myself think that you weren't coming back, or at least I tried to. My heart wouldn't let me think that, Peeta. It wouldn't. I didn't know why. When they brought you back, I was overjoyed. I just couldn't believe it, but I discovered what they had done to you. I figured that they made you hate me, and when you tried to strangle me-"

"I tried to WHAT?" I looked at her, horrified. I got most of my memories back, but I didn't remember that part.

"It's okay, Peeta."

"No, Katniss, I'm so sorry." She silenced me and kept going.

"When you tried to strangle me, I knew it wasn't the real you. It seems strange that the moment I discovered my true feeling was when you were trying to kill me."

I gave her a perplexed look.

"Katniss, what are you trying to say?"

"Peeta, I-I..."

I took her face in my hands and kissed her. It was a passionate kiss, one that I poured all my feelings into. I decided it was my turn to speak.

"Katniss, I need to say something too," She bit her lip and urged me to talk.

"Katniss, I've had feelings for you since we were five. I would always look at you in school and think about what life would be if we were together. I was really jealous of Gale, because of how close you were. It was by chance that I got reaped into the Hunger Games, after you volunteered. I never doubted my feelings for you, even when I was hijacked. You were the one that kept me going. It was you. The Capitol tried to turn me against you, but my hear wouldn't allow it, because I knew, even through all that, that I loved you. I love you Katniss. I've been waiting forever to say it to you, but I love you. I really do. No matter how broken we are, I will always love you. Always."

(Katniss)

_Always._ That word repeated itself in my head. It held so many sentimental meanings. "Stay with me," I had said. To that he had replied, "always."

It was true, even after all we had been through, he still loved me. I'm not what some boys would call their "ideal girl", but Peeta still loved me. I felt my heart leap as I thought about my feelings. I think I love him too. After everything, my feelings were starting to become clear.

"Peeta," I began.

"Yes, Katniss?"

"I love you too."

_Always._


End file.
